Comments on: Manners and Trashing the Place

By: Myrtle June

Myrtle June — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:31:21 +0000

Yes! Scarecrow, we are being far too polite! I agree. We do owe that generation. Additionally, we owe it to the future generations and we better get right on it! Right now.

By: IowaDem

IowaDem — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:49:59 +0000

Oklahoma kiddo @ 59

What’s left of the Redwoods? About 10-20% old growth. Perhaps we should build a Redwood zoo.

We should put them in tree museum (a la Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi). Then we could charge people to see ‘em.

The whole mess this administration has caused - destroying everything they touch - is a tragedy and makes my heart ache.

By: Bugboy

Bugboy — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:36:54 +0000

I’m going to say this over and over and over until someone gets it through their thick skulls: Is anyone surprised this is what they get when they elect Republicans? They get trashed public lands and poisoned peanut butter.

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:05:15 +0000

For those of us old enough to remember: It used to be that it was free to enter a national park — Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Yellowstone — all free. Our taxes paid for their upkeep, and we cared enough about our environment to tax ourselves sufficient to the need.

Now we seem to be too greedy, lazy (or perhaps we are afraid of nature — I have a friend who gets nervous if there isn’t asphalt beneath her feet).

By: the golux

the golux — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:00:31 +0000

In my life, I have seen corrupt and petty administrations. I’ve seen bigotry and the use of wedge issues against the disenfranchised. I’ve seen arrogance and vindictiveness and stupidity. Nixon’s arrogance and corruption, Johnson’s vindictiveness and stupidity, Reagan’s stupidity all come to mind.

But never in my life have I seen an administration which has no interest whatsoever in governing and whose ONLY purposes are to take and hold power and to reward their friends and punish their enemies. It is really not a government but a criminal enterprise.

They don’t care about the forests except to the extent that one of their cronies can turn them into lumber or paper. They don’t care about rebuilding New Orleans except to the extent that their friends can get no-bid, no-perform contracts. They don’t care about clean air because it will cost their friends money to install anti-pollution equipment. They don’t care about national security except to the extent that their friends can make money off it. They don’t care about state secrets except to cover their tracks or punish their enemies. On every single issue, this is their M.O.

I shouldn’t be shocked anymore, but I still am.

By: argosfalcon

argosfalcon — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:46:32 +0000

I had to watch the destruction of most of southern California in the 70’s, 80’s, and most of Santa Barbara in the 90’s, it breaks the heart, in the western states the development is mind numbing. But where money and greed are involved let nothing stand in the way of my view (of someone else’s mountain palace) besides all my walkway lights are solar powered.

By: argosfalcon

argosfalcon — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:38:40 +0000

I should have said loves the environment, sometimes my passions get ahead of my spelling.

By: mulligatawny

mulligatawny — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:36:26 +0000

It’s not just the federal government. Am currently based in a Western ski town, and the locals cater mostly to the rich who cannot build enough mansions. Every hill top with a view is parcelled of and given to the hightest bidder. Most of those ugly ten thousand square foot “homes” are not inhabited year round, but heated, cooled, landscaped even when no one is there. Every local want a piece of the action, most are so-called real estate agents, and what matters is if another “high end” development can be sqeezed into some canyon, and every five minutes another hill top is razed for a foundation.

By: argosfalcon

argosfalcon — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:35:27 +0000

As someone who watched the disintegration of parks, preserves, and forests for over twenty five years I can attest to the sad state that they are in now. The lack of funding is just the tip of the iceberg, but this is a political site not an environmental one so I will not go on except to say that the problem is not just the physical condition of the parks, and the lack of protection for natural and cultural resources, but the management culture the has developed over the years. In the same way that the Army Corps of Engineers mishandled the Kenniwick man site in violation of federal law, and to viewing the mineral resources of the parks as the only important aspect to consider by the politically appointed heads of agencies. The more unusable the parks become the easier it is to exploit the surface and subsurface resources, and only spend a departments limited funds dealing with the needs of high profile parks. But its my second cup of coffee speaking and my feeling that that comes from many years in California where everybody loses the environment until it comes to their home building site or development project.

By: Peterr

Peterr — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:07:09 +0000

anangryoldbroad @ 118

Oh my,thanks so much to all of you who gave me even more ideas of things to see in N.California. This is gonna be sooo fun.

You have no idea, AOB. :)